Several days into the new year, the switch in the collection of recycling materials from the city to a new private provider has been anything but seamless for some Torontonians.
Residents in Leaside tell CityNews they have yet to see any of their blue bin recycling picked up by the new company, adding that their calls have left them confused and frustrated as the recycling continues to pile up on the curbside.
Under new provincial legislation, the City is no longer responsible for the collection of recycled materials. Circular Materials has assumed collection for single-family homes, some multi-residential buildings, schools, long-term care facilities, and retirement homes.
Over the last few months, city officials assured residents that collection schedules would remain consistent and that any missed collections should be directed to the company.
“We got a notice to put everything out on New Year’s Day, and everybody did, and they haven’t picked it up since. They picked up the garbage and compost, but the recycling is still out,” resident Carrie Baker tells CityNews, adding there’s been a lot of mixed messaging surrounding the issue.
“Definitely mixed communication between the city, the company and the residents here. From the sounds of it, no one is able to get the right answer,” explained Baker. “We’ve talked to a few neighbours, and everybody says they’re just going to leave the recycling out until somebody comes to pick it up.”
Similar complaints were received from other residents in North York, who say that despite putting their recycling out as directed by the postcard they received, it was not collected.
City Councillor Josh Matlow calls the situation “completely unacceptable,” adding he plans to raise the issue directly with the company, the mayor’s office and the Ford government.
“This is a basic service that all of us rely on and should be provided by the City,” Matlow said in a social media post.
In a statement to CityNews, the company confirms that households in two districts of the city were not serviced on January 2 and 3 as part of its special post-holiday schedule.
“This special collection was scheduled outside the regular recycling pickup cycle to support increased recycling volumes following the holiday season,” said Circular Materials CEO Allen Langdon.
“Any household that did not receive a collection will be collected starting [Monday] and during this week. Residents are asked to please leave their recycling out to support pick up.”
“We apologize for any inconvenience and thank residents for their patience and engagement.”
In an update later Monday, Langdon said work was currently underway to clear the backlog.
“We are pleased to confirm that a number of households who did not receive their special post-holiday recycling collection had their recycling picked up starting today, and collection will continue this week,” he said.
“Collection trucks are mobilized and our service provider, GFL Environmental, is actively working throughout this week to prioritize collection until all material has been picked up.”
The areas in question include a large swath of North York and East York from the Humber River east to Yonge Street, extending from Steeles Avenue south to Lake Ontario and from Yonge Street east to Victoria Park, also extending from Steeles Avenue south to Lake Ontario.
While the recycling collection has changed, the City remains responsible for the pickup of garbage, green bin, and yard waste.
During an unrelated news conference on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked about early issues with the new system. While he didn’t comment on the collection problems in Toronto, he said he’s heard complaints from the mayor of Aurora about the size of the bins being delivered to residents in that community.
“The company that’s doing it make no mistake: if it doesn’t work, we’ll change it like anything else,” Ford said.
“We’re trying to recycle as much as we possibly can. We’re really going after areas that we can utilize more recycling.
“If it doesn’t work out, we’ll change it. That’s with any program we do, we tweak it, and a lot of governments they dig their heels in — I don’t. If it’s not working plain and simple, let’s make the changes — continuous improvement.”